DAY 1: AIRPORT (CASABLANCA) – FES
Greeting and welcoming you at the airport of Casablanca and drive you to explore the largest city in the kingdom by visiting the mosque of Hassan second that is open for Muslims and non-Muslims and located on a prominent piece of land that rises up on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, the square of Mohammed fifth which has a thousands of pigeons and a fountain of water, and the Cornish; walk alongside the ocean for a while. After lunch, we will transfer to Fes where we will spend the night in a traditional Moroccan style Raid.
DAY 2: FEZ – IFRANE – AZROU – MIDELT – ZIZ VALLEY – ERFOUD – MERZOUGA(CAMEL TREK AND A NIGHT IN THE CAMP)
Morning pick up you from your Hotel/Raid in Fes and begin our tour to Merzouga. We will drive you through the Middle Atlas Mountain where the city of Ifrane is located. Ifrane is characterized with extreme cold and snow covered the foothills of the mountain, also it is referred to as Switzerland of Morocco. After our visit to the sculpture of stone loin, we will continue our journey passing through the Ceder Forest where we will meet with Barbary Apes if we are lucky, feeding them with some fruits and nuts. Later on, we will be in the city of Zaida ‘city of barbecue’ and then the city of Midelt that is renowned for the production of Apple by which the city called the capital of Apple. The city of Midelt surrounded by a stunning landscapes and wonderful views to the snow Mountain of High Atlas. After the Middle Atlas Mountain, it is time to cross the High Atlas Mountain over an elevation of 1907 meters, the pass encircled with conifers and rosemary plants. Later on, we will follow our way along the Ziz Gorge that divided into three parts; the third part is most marvelous section that offers view to thousand of palm trees and other trees as pomegranate, fig, and olive. We shall continue our journey to Sahara desert through the city of Erfoud which considers the second gate to the desert beside Ouarzazate city. Erfoud is not only renowned for its fossils such as Ammonites,Trilobites and other products but also it is the capital of dates fruit as the festival of Dates takes place in the city every year in October. Our last destination for today will be Merzouga where your camel and your experienced guide are awaiting for you to start another journey but this time by camel. Camel trek will last for 1h30m crossing the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi that offers charming views for pictures and playing with sand once you stop for watching the sunset, also sand boarding is available in your journey to the camp. On arrival to the camp, welcome tea will be served by camp’s staff before they show you your luxurious tents that equipped with mattresses, comfortable beds, pillows, electricity, hot water and heater. Next, you will have dinner either inside a luxurious restaurant or outdoor before you gather around a bonfire to enjoy Berber drums and traditional nomadic songs. We shall spend the night in the camp.
DAY 3: MERZOUGA – RISSANI – ALNIF – TODRA GORGE – DADES GORGE
In the early morning when the roosters started crowing, the camp’s staff will wake up to prepare breakfast and they will wake you up before the sunrise. The sun will emerge above the horizon while you are waiting for it at the top of the dunes. After breakfast and refreshment, you will ride camel back to Merzouga where you will meet your driver/guide to begin your journey from the edge of the desert towards your next destination. We will visit the city of Rissani that once was called Sijilmasa when it was one of the most important stations in Trans-Sahara Trade Route before 16th century. In Rissani, we will see the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Chirf, the founder of Alaouite dynasty, and walking along its traditional market where they are selling spices, fruits, cloths and jewelry. Our lunch for today will be prepared in this city as it is renowned for its traditional Berber pizza, and carry it with us to have picnic lunch somewhere on our way to Alnif that is itself best-known for public wedding ceremony where you could find more them fifteen bridegrooms. Afterwards, we will transfer to Dades Gorge through Todra Gorge where Cliffs are as high as 312 meters. We will have a walk on the canyon floor and appreciate the springs that flow between the rocks. On arrival to Dades Gogre, we shall spend the night in our Hotel that includes dinner and breakfast.
DAY 4: DADES GORGE – CITY OF ROSE – OUARZAZATE – AIT BENHADDOU – HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAIN – MARRAKECH
After breakfast, we will make our way to Marrakech through the city of rose where the festival of rose takes place every year in May and we may stop to explore its beauty and its rose products that range from perfume, rose water and oil. Here we will visit the city of Ouarzazate that is referred to as the gate of the desert; here we will visit the biggest studio of cinema where you will explore the materials that have been used in making movies, and the Kasbah of Taourirt that was founded by Thami El Glaoui in the 19th century. We then follow our way to the Kasbah (Castle) of Ait Benhaddou, the largest Kasbah in the kingdom of Morocco and listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The Kasbah is renowned as a backdrop for many movies, including Gladiator, Sheltering Sky, Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones. We will feel as we are performing in a certain movie while we start walking along the narrow streets of the Kasbah for one hour and then we seek for a local restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we will continue our journey through the High Atlas Mountain, which has a pass called Tizi n’Tichka pass on an elevation of 2260meters. We will pause for mountain views and Berber villages along the Valley of the mountain. Our tour will end once we get to Marrakech in the early evening, dropping you off in your chosen Hotel/Raid.
